Mailbox with door operated signal flag



Dec. 11, 1951 E. P. PEDERSEN ET AL 6 MAILBOX WITH DOOR OPERATED SIGNAL FLAG Filed May 11, 1949 2 SHEET $-SHEET 1 25 Inventors Elmer R Pedersen Leo R. Pedersen Kenneth E. Pedersen Dec. 1 1, 1951 E. F PEADEZRSEN El'AL 2,578,486

MAIL-BOX WITH DOOR OPERATED SIGNAL FLAG Filed May 11, 1949 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 \J Inventors Elmer P. Pedersen Leo R. Pedersen Kenneth E. Pedersen 2mm arm Wows; Em

i atented Dec. 11,1951

STATES PATENT oFmc-E MAILBOX WTEHDSZZfZfRIlRA'lEllSIGNAL I ,Elmer P. Pedersen, Leo-m P-edersen, and KennethgE. Pedersen, PipestoneaMinn;

Application May 11, 1949, "Serial No. 92,628

The present invention-relates to new andtuseful improvements-in-ruralmailboxes, and more particularly to an imp-rov-ed door for the mailboxto permit the mailman to approach the box more closely while remaining in a vehicle to thus facilitate the placing of mail in the box and removing mail therefrom.

An important object of the invention is to pro-- vide a door for the front of the mailbox mounted for swinging upwardly on top of the box into its open position and which will gravitate and hold itself in its closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved signal flagconstruction which is moved into its lowered position by an opening movement of the door and providing spring means for holding the flag in either its raised or lowered position.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive in appearance, eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the flag.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein, for the purpose of illustration, we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,

the numeral 5 designates the mailbox generally and which is preferably constructed of sheet metal in which the top 6 and sides I are integrally formed and a bottom 8 provided with flanges 9 at its side edges riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the inner side walls I.

The front edge of the box is rolled inwardly as shown at 9 and slopes downwardly toward the bottom and against which is positioned a sloping door Ill having flanges II at its top and sides to overlap the top and sides of the box.

A lower U-shaped lift arm i2 is formed at its ends with outwardly extending trunnions l3 pivoted in brackets l4 secured to the sides of the box and with the central portion of the arm l2 1 Claim. (Cl. 232-35) pivoted in a==bearingbracket l 5 secured to. the lower front portion-pf the-door .l 0.

t: An iupperm ueshaped liftarm i 6:. sis-alsov formed at its ends with outwardly extending trunnions l'a' pivoted in brackets 18 secured to the upper side walls of the box and with the central portion of the upper lift arm l6 pivoted in a bearing bracket i9 secured to the upper front portion of door it, the lift arms l2 and It swinging the door it upwardly into a position to lie on top of the box when the door is in its open or raised position. A handle or finger grip 20 is secured to the lower outer surface of the door ID.

A metal flag 2| is secured to the upper end of a substantially L-shaped bracket or flagstaff 22 to provide a vertical arm 23 and a horizontal arm 24, thebracket or flagstaii 22 being pivoted at the junction of the arms 23 and 24 on one of the trunnions El and secured in position thereon by a nut 25 threaded on the outer end of the trunnion against the bracket or fiagstaff.

The outer end of horizontal arm 24, at its upper edge, is formed with an inwardly projecting stop 28 which overlies one side of upper lift arm I6.

A wire coil spring 21 has one end 28 anchored to the upper portion of bracket i8 and its upper end 29 anchored to bracket or flagstaff 22 at the junction of arms 23 and 24 and acuacent the trunnions H.

The coil spring includes a central coil 30 which is held under tension in a rearward position with respect to the anchored ends of the spring, when the flag is raised, to hold the flag in its raised position, as shown by full lines in Figure 5, and when the flag is lowered, the coil 31) swings to a position above the flag to hold the flag in its lowered position, as shown by dotted lines.

In the operation of the device, door In is held in its closed position by gravity and by the tensioned flag staff 22 when the flag 2| is raised and is raised into its open position on top of the box by grasping finger grip 20. The flag 2| is held in both its raised and lowered positions by spring 21 and when the flag is raised, the stop 26 engages arm IE to lower the flag when the door is opened.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

A mailbox having an open front end, a door for said front end of the box, upper and lower U-shaped lift arms pivoted at the ends thereof to the sides of the box and pivoted at the central portions thereof to the door to open said door when the arms are lifted, a flag pivotally mounted on one of the pivoted ends of one of said arms for vertical swinging into raised and what is lowered positions at one side of the box, a lateral 15 4 by urge the door closed, said flag being swingable into lowered position independently of lifting of said one lift arm, and said spring means yieldingly urging said flag lowered.

ELMER P. PEDERSEN. LEO R. PEDERSEN. KENNETH E. PEDERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 706,843 Moore Aug. 12, 1902 844,435 Wolf Feb. 19, 1907 995,845 Chleborad June 20, 1911 1,060,659 Ammann May 6, 1913 1,199,581 Luckett Sept. 26, 1916 1,792,821 Cook Feb. 17, 1931 1,895,912 Bowers Jan. 31, 1933 2,156,854 Hurst May 2, 1939 

